Swoonuary! A Valentine's Day Special with the Bookish Groupies - means February is about LOVE

Hello beautiful ladies, and welcome to the Bookish Groupies first annual event, Swoonuary! 

Are you in the mood for a sugary sweet romance? What about a contemporary so cute, you're left squealing like a school girl? If you are, then perfect, because that is what Swoonuary is all about! After reading quite a bit of fantasy and science fiction lately, the girls and I are ready to dive back into the land of hook ups & heartbreaks, happily ever afters, and happily never fucking again . . . well the last part might be something I'm looking for, but you get the idea. All month long, we've decided to read both romance & contemporary novels in Lieu of Valentines day, the day for all things cheesy. But what fun what it be if we didn't have other bloggers join us? That's where you all come in . . . 

To read more CLICK HERE :)

I was invited to this event by Tika and I'm very happy to take part in it :) You can do that too! February is this one month a year when everyone is talking about love... so why not read about love? I'm very excited to finally cross some cute'n'sweet (or sometimes sweet'n'sour) romance books out from my to-read lists :)

What I'm planning to read:

Summer series by Jenny Han

I own the complete trilogy in Polish so I've decided to give it a go in February. I think it will be a light and relaxing read after all my exams and perfect for the season (although it's still winter :))

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven

It's unfortunately on my DNF list so I've decided to pick it up again this month. Hopefully I'll finish this time.

The Right Side of Mr. Wrong by Jane Linfoot

which I've received from Isabell for a guest review. I've been slacking on reading it because of my exams so I think now it's the right time to speed up my reading :)

And hopefully I'll read even more than that :)

'You Think You Know Me' by Clare Chase

Goodreads * Amazon * Amazon UK

Choc Lit

Book summary: Sometimes, it’s not easy to tell the good guys from the bad …

Freelance journalist, Anna Morris, is struggling to make a name for herself, so she’s delighted to attend a launch event for a hip, young artist at her friend Seb’s gallery.

But an exclusive interview isn’t all Anna comes away with. After an encounter with the enigmatic Darrick Farron, she is flung into the shady underground of the art scene – a world of underhand dealings, missing paintings and mysterious deaths …

Seb is intent on convincing Anna that Darrick is up to no good but, try as she might, she can’t seem to keep away from him. And as she becomes further embroiled, Anna begins to wonder – is Seb’s behaviour the well-intentioned concern of an old friend, or does he have something to hide?

Finally I've found a book that combines mystery, dark secrets and a light read. I was glued to it from the first chapter and had a lot of questions in my mind. Anna meets a stranger who gives her a false identity. Despite being warned by people that something's not right, she stays in touch with him and tries to unravel secrets that turn up all along the way.

I had my suspicions about who the bad guy is and what happened after reading about 50% of the book. In the end it turned out I was right, but the last few chapters were very dramatic and dynamic - I didn't expect that and was pleasantly surprised. On the other hand this dynamics wasn't really balanced with few parts of the book which were slow-paced and detailed.

The story line is good and solid and characters are diverse and well built. I enjoyed how author was giving out pieces of information about Sebastian's life and drama he went through when he lost his girlfriend Julia. I also grew fond of Anna's housemates - scenes with them were bringing some refreshment and fun. 

This was my first book written by Clare Chase but I very like her style of writing - it's solid and neat. I would happily give this author another go! And on a side note, as an UK-Lover I was happy that the book was set in London.

I'd recommend this book to everyone that seeks a good, solid but light read with a lot of mystery and questions to answer.

'Skating at Somerset House' by Nikki Moore

Book #1 in #LoveLondon Series
Goodreads * Amazon * Amazon UK
Harper Impulse

Book Summary: The first short story in the fun & flirty #LoveLondon series from exciting new chick lit author Nikki Moore!

There’s nothing Holly Winterlake loves more than Christmas and skating, so working as an Ice Marshall at London's Somerset House is a dream come true.

Noel Summerford hates the festive season and is a disaster on the ice, so taking his godson to Somerset House is his idea of the nightmare before Christmas!

Things are bound to get interesting when these two collide…

With a forty foot Christmas tree, an assortment of well meaning friends and relatives, and a mad chocolate Labrador, will this festive season be one to remember … or forget?

I'm still in the festive mood so wintery-Christmassy reads are still on my to-read list. This is the first book in #LoveLondon series by Nikki Moore - second 'New Year at the Ritz' is already released, and the third 'Valentine's at Primrose Hill' will be out at my birthday (15/01/2015). 

'Skating at Somerset House' is a short story, easy to read at one go. Characters are nicely built and even that we know that Christmas-lover Holly will get together with Christmas-hater Noel at the end, it's an enjoyable and heart-warming book. The story is too short to dig deep into both Noel's and Holly's past but I feel like what we've learnt about them is sufficient. In short writings like this fast pace is a good thing - I really liked that there were no unnecessary descriptions slowing down the events.

I love that the whole series has a theme which is London. It will be a nice experience to get to know some significant places in this city by reading Nikki Moore's books. I liked her writing style and I definitely will continue reading #LoveLondon as those light, short, delightful reads will for sure give me some refreshment between heavier books.

*Provided to me by Harper Impulse via NetGalley*

'Cora's Christmas Kiss' by Alison May

Goodreads * Amazon * Amazon UK

Choc Lit

Book summary: Can you expect a perfect Christmas after the year from hell?

Cora and Liam have both experienced horrible years that have led them to the same unlikely place – spending December working in the Grotto at Golding’s department store.

Under the cover of a Father Christmas fat suit and an extremely unflattering reindeer costume, they find comfort in sharing their tales of woe during their bleak staffroom lunch breaks.

But is their new-found friendship just for Christmas? Or have they created something deeper, something that could carry them through to a hopeful new year?

Another heart-warming Christmas novella from Alison May! Keep your eyes peeled for characters you may recognise from Alison’s previous novella, Holly’s Christmas Kiss

'Cora's Christmas Kiss' is a second book in "Christmas Kisses" series by Alison May. I've read it as a stand alone and I didn't have any problems with that because the story is separate. It's a rather short read (179 pages) and it's good about it - it's straight to the point without unnecessary descriptions which makes it a relaxing, fast, festive read. 

Cora and Liam are working together as Father Christmas and his helper Reindeer at a department store. During their breaks they're telling each other a story about their past year which according to them was a total disaster. It's easy to follow both stories as they're marked by month and year so it doesnt get confusing for the reader. Although I knew main characters will get together in the end, their adventures throughout the year made me turn page after page wanting to know more about what happened to them later! 

This book is sometimes amusing, sometimes touching - overall it's a good festive read, heart-warming and perfect for Christmas - New Years season. If you're still looking for a last minute Christmas read I'd recommend this one - it's short but full of surprise and relax.

'Snow Angels, Secrets & Christmas Cake' by Sue Watson

Goodreads * Amazon * Amazon UK
Bookouture

Summary: For Tamsin Angel, Christmas is always the biggest and best… chic parties and a little showbiz sparkle are a must. This year though, things aren’t going quite as planned… 

With bailiffs suddenly at the door and her husband nowhere to be found, it looks like Christmas just got downsized. Moving into her sister’s one-bedroom flat, she wonders whether things will ever be the same again. 

After losing her husband on Christmas Eve, Sam Angel has rebuilt her life around her son Jacob and her new business – The White Angel Bakery. She’s also found herself a very handsome, loving boyfriend, but is struggling to let go of the past. 

Thrown together with a sprinkle of Christmas magic, Sam and Tamsin might just learn a little more about each other – and themselves. But when disaster strikes at the bakery, will they be able to save the day in time for Christmas?

First of all: OH MY GOD! This was one of the best Christmas books I've read so far! It was not only festive, engaging and sweet - it had a lot more to offer than just relaxing time while reading it.

I adored the story of two completely different sisters who in their own ways rediscovered a true meaning of Christmas. The book is written in two narratives so we can see all events from both Tamsin's and Sam's points of view - the author succeeded in showing how diverse these women are. Both are very well built characters, charming and loveable, sometimes even amusing. 

But Sue Watson's book is not only about two sisters struggling to survive through this unusual Christmas time after one of them had lost everything she owned. It is also a story about dealing with an emotional and painful past, dark times of childhood. One may think Tamsin is a posh and shallow, unsatisfied housewife but her obsession with beautiful, sparkly and expensive things is just an escape from wounds that have never been healed but scratched even more. 'Snow Angels...' also portrays different kinds of love and fear that comes along with it. 

This book is a perfect seasonal women's fiction. There's an excellent balance between romance, touching moments and amusement. It's a read along which you can cry, smile, laugh and feel this special kind of Christmassy warmth in your heart. I personally fell in love with Sue Watson's writing style and can't wait to read more of her books!